More Books at the Fall Book Fair…

Folks, as promised, I’m here to let you know about some more books at Viviana MacKade’s Fall Book Fair online event…all of them are e-books priced at ninety-nine cents, and all are interesting reads. (I’ve read all the promos and have read a few of the books, and may be picking up a whole bunch of others. They just look that good.)

Along with my own AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE (which was featured today), my friend Kayelle Allen’s THE LAST VHALGENN was also featured. While I’ve often edited for Kayelle, this story predates me knowing her, much less editing for her — so I can tell you without any prejudice whatsoever that it’s a cracking good story.

See, Kayelle’s character Raik is a type of supremely loyal woman we rarely see in any stories these days. She’s not perfect, no, but she’s sexy as Hell, smart, funny in her way, loyal to a fault, and because she is a Vhalgenn — a type of super-courtesan for the highest nobles in the land, and completely unable to have children (so no bastards can be sired upon her, meaning most noble wives would probably not mind her as much as they’d mind other mistresses), she has a unique role to play.

And when she’s placed in an impossible position, what will she choose to do? (Because I want you to go to Viviana’s page, I am going to stop right there with my plot summary.)

When I read THE LAST VHALGENN a few years ago, I sat up and went, “Wow. That’s my type of woman!”

And it’s one reason why, when I had the opportunity to talk about one of my friend Jason Cordova’s books earlier this year, I also talked about one of Kayelle’s — because there’s something there that I’ve seen from both of them that I don’t get in a lot of other places. The military detailing is exceptional, and the characterization is so good, the characters almost jump off the page. They are both Navy veterans, too, and I think that makes a big difference when it comes to authenticity. (The rest of us, who aren’t, have to work that much harder…but I digress.)

That’s why my hope was that folks who like Jason’s work but had never heard of Kayelle would go take a look at her books, most especially the two novels about Pietas (a man who you shouldn’t like, considering his violent and extremely difficult and sometimes distasteful attributes, but you can’t help but like anyway — and ultimately, come to admire). I saw a lot about BRINGER OF CHAOS: The Origin of Pietas that I thought Jason’s readers, especially those who adored the three Wraithkin books, would appreciate…maybe down the line more folks will make those cross-connections, but at least I have it out there that if you like one of these writers and their military-themed work (and yes, THE LAST VHALGENN has a military element, too, as she’s not just a courtesan; she’s also a fully trained fighter and tactician and military strategist), you will probably like the other.

In addition to Kayelle’s excellent work, my own AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE is also featured today. It is a funny fantasy that Jason (in a quote given to me for promotional purposes) said was “quick and witty” and “straddles the line between absurdity and suspense.” (When he gave me that quote, I said, “Thank you!”) And Viviana MacKade saw that, made up a nifty little graphic with that quote, and credits Jason for it (as she should).

How did she know about this? Probably because she read the quotes I had for AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE either at my blog or at my Amazon page, and liked Jason’s the best…and as Jason’s own profile has risen in the last few years, it probably can’t hurt me any that she picked his quote. (I hope it helps. I’d like people to actually read what I’m writing, now and again. Gives me hope that they might want to see some sequels or prequels down the line, as I had a whole lot of ’em plotted out at one time.)

So, if you haven’t read AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE yet, please go take a look at it.

And of course keep an eye on Viviana MacKade’s book fair, as there’s still a few more days to go…lots of great e-books, all priced at just ninety-nine cents! (How can you go wrong?)

Yes, they are, and I enjoy them immensely. But there’s really something about Raik that grabs your attention and doesn’t let it go…I think it’s the almost impossible position she’s put into. It did remind me, a little, of Pietas’ situation later (and how, if the human warrior Six hadn’t helped Pietas, Pietas surely would’ve died). How to get through impossible situations seems to be one of Kayelle’s specialties!

Thank you, Roger. When you’re in the mood for a funny, quirky fantasy, I hope you’ll enjoy AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE. (I also have some other ninety-nine cent novellas, but they aren’t funny fantasies. Plus CHANGING FACES, of course, which I’m pretty sure is not your cup of tea.)

Impossible situations are great conflict. My thought is that you put your hero/ine through the wringer because that’s what reveals character. The great keep going. Others fall aside. I love writing about the ones who keep going. And I think that’s what readers like to see.

I agree and I have a connection with Kayelle characters. After seeing Nik portray Pietas, I get into all the emotions that Pietas carries. He is such a complex and major character. It was surprising all that was revealed to me. I understand Pietas better now. He is no longer the character I love to hate. It’s Pietas’s father.

Yes. Pietas’s father is a real piece of work. I understand Pietas a good deal better now, and having Six around to humanize Pietas (for lack of a better term, as Pietas would hate to be thought of as “human” in any way, shape, or form, of course) really helps.

Wow you too nailed Pietas there. LOL Lisa’s right about the cosplay. Seeing a living person portray the character brought out nuances I hadn’t expected. Makes me wonder though, how much was Nik and how much was my interpretation of Pietas because of him? The thing both Lisa and I noticed while looking at the images was Nik’s skill at portraying a person who hides his pain and anger — as well as his love.
In the ritual that Nik performed for the camera (and me) you watch as he puts on the facade of Pietas. I realized with a start that even Pietas puts on the facade of Pietas. My immortal king is a class act, but his bravado and anger and cool, aloof behavior is a front to keep anyone at arm’s length. If no one comes near him, they can’t hurt him. Nik had not even read the books. He had only my input and images (licensed ones of himself) on banners that I had made to interpret this character. He knocked it out of the park.

Good point! Working with Nik was such a treat. We communicated on Skype, on Instagram, in email — it was an ongoing relationship putting this together. I’ve done everything I can to draw attention to Nik’s talent and ability for a long time. I intend to keep doing so. I can’t thank him enough for all he did. He made a dream come true for me. Here’s his Instagram account. You can get a glimpse of his work. His photographer, @by_cosphoto gets enormous credit for capturing his essence. When you see his body of work, you understand why they make such an incredible team. https://www.instagram.com/nitsvetov/

Bringing Pietas to life was so insightful. Nik has the talent of an actor, he spoke a little English welcoming Kayelle to the video of the session. Kelle and I got together over phone problems and had a blast watch him and Julia. They were so professional and did an amazing job.
Thank you for hosting.